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The Indian Army’s
decision to court-martial six military personnel for carrying out a fake
encounter at Machhil in Kashmir is one of the severe punishments handed out by
the Army to erring personnel.

Since 1994, 59
Army men have been punished for violating human rights in Jammu and Kashmir and
another 70 punishments have been handed out to Army men in the north-east.

The Army
headquarters is clear that it needs to hand out punishment if any officer errs
in delivering duty. This is needed for the force to be seen as even handed, lest
demands for removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) get
leverage.

The Pathribal fake
encounter, carried out in 2000, is seen like a watershed. It was then that the
Army found it had bad elements who were staging killings and claiming them to
be encounters with “terrorists”.

The Supreme Court
ruled that the CBI needed prior sanction under AFSPA to prosecute the Army
personnel, the Army has opted to be transparent in its own internal probe. No
sanction is needed if the Army does its own Court of Inquiry (CoI).

In the Machhil
case, Army did not take cover under AFSPA to evade investigation and scrutiny
that led to court martial of six, including a Colonel and two Majors.

Figures of human
right probes indicate that there were 1,004 allegations of excesses against the
Indian Army in J&K and 25 of these were found to be true since 1994. Nine
cases are still under investigation. The numbers are disputed by the
J&K-based organisations and there have been a few instances of the matters getting
to head.

In 2012, two human
rights NGOs - Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (IPDP) and the
International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir (IPTK)
in Srinagar - alleged 235 army personnel were involved in alleged involvement
in human rights abuses in J&K.

The Army had then
dismissed the report as a collation of unsubstantiated allegations and had
added: “The culpability of the Army men listed has not been established in any
of the cases. The NGOs have stated that they do not have conclusive evidence
against any of the army personnel mentioned in their report.” Another 570
allegations are against the Army in the north east. A total of 29 have been
found genuine.

The Prime
Minister-appointed interlocutors on Kashmir — Dileep Padgaonkar, Radha Kumar
and MM Ansari — had submitted a report in October 2012. They called from ending
bureaucratic stalemates in case of court martial. “A speedy and transparent
court martial would be an immense confidence building measure,” the report had
said.

Fake encounters

It was after the Pathribal fake encounter
in 2000 that the Army realised it had bad elements staging killings and
claiming them to be encounters with "terrorists"

In the Machhil case, Army did not take
cover under AFSPA to evade investigation and scrutiny that led to court martial
of six

Figures indicate that there were 1,004
allegations of excesses against the Indian Army in J&K, 25 of which were
found to be true

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131228/nation.htm#22

JCO dismissed, Capt reprimanded for clash in
Gurdaspur armoured unit

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News
Service

Chandigarh,
December 27

A General Court
Martial (GCM) has dismissed a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) from service
for allegedly assaulting a Captain during a clash between officer and troops in
an armoured regiment based near Gurdaspur. The Captain has been awarded a
“severe reprimand” in a separate trial. The court martial of another non-commissioned
officer directly involved in the fracas is underway.

Sources said the
GCM, presided by the commanding officer of a field artillery regiment,
concluded at Tibri military station near Gurdaspur last week. The court’s
verdict is subject to confirmation by the convening authority. JCO Sub S Raju
had faced four charges under Section 40 of the Army Act for assaulting a
superior officer, abetment and instigation. He was held guilty by the court of
all four charges.

The incident had
taken place in 45 Cavalry at Tibri on May 29, 2010. A jawan, Lance Dafadar MR
Abhilash, was allegedly thrashed by Capt Aishwarya Saxena and another officer,
Capt R Ganguly, and forcibly taken away from the unit premises in a car. The
jawan had been faring poorly in morning PT, resulting in a spat between the
two, which later blew up.

A Court of
Inquiry, presided over by Brig AK Thakur, Commander of an artillery brigade,
had blamed the regiment’s commanding officer for not taking effective steps to
handle the situation and attempting to conceal the incident from higher
authorities. He was awarded a severe displeasure after administrative action
was initiated against him.

In addition, the
regiment’s Risaldar Mmajor, the senior most JCO in the unit, was among several
JCOs who faced administrative action, and was awarded a severe reprimand. At
least four jawans of the unit were dismissed after being tried by a summary
court martial for their alleged role in the incident.

The JCOs were
blamed for failing to exercise due command and control over troops, who
“behaved in an unruly and undisciplined manner”, resulting in the use of
criminal force by them on two Captains and two Lieutenants. They were also
blamed for misdemeanor and making incorrect statements before the CoI.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20131228/nation.htm#23

National Police Academy to have first woman
boss

New Delhi,
December 27

National Police
Academy, the Hyderabad-based alma mater for IPS officers in the country, could
soon get a woman chief for the first time in its history.

Aruna Bahuguna, a
1979-batch IPS officer, is tipped to be appointed as the new director of the
65-year-old institution, also known as the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National
Police Academy (SVPNPA), which is tasked with the training of police leaders.

Bahuguna (56), who
belongs to the Andhra Pradesh cadre, is at present posted as the Special
Director General in the country's largest paramilitary force, CRPF, at its
headquarters in the national capital.

The orders for
Bahuguna's appointment as the new director of the academy would be issued soon,
sources said. The officer, who has served in various positions with Andhra
Pradesh police, also holds the distinction of being the first woman SDG in
CRPF. She is the second-in-command of the 3 lakh strong force, after the DG.
The post of the NPA Director fell vacant after incumbent Subhas Goswami was
last month appointed as the DG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Reputed police
officers like Sankar Sen, Trinath Mishra and K Vijay Kumar have earlier headed
the NPA. Once appointed, Bahuguna would be the 28th boss of the academy. The
high-level board of the NPA comprises senior civil servants, police officers
and eminent educationists as its members and is headed by the Union Home
Secretary. — PTI

Top military
officials of the two nuclear armed neighbours agreed to defuse months-old
tensions along the Line of Control by restoring the ceasefire, in a landmark
meeting at the Wagah border on Tuesday.

Pakistan Army
Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Aamer Riaz and his
Indian counterpart Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia, who met for the first time
in 14 years, decided to restore ceasefire by ‘re-energising existing
mechanisms’.

The talks are part
of the efforts from both the countries to defuse hostilities along the LoC. Lt
Gen Bhatia who crossed over from the Attari border checkpost was received by
Maj Gen Riaz.

In complete
contrast to the recent flaring up of tensions, the DGMOs were seen smiling and
shaking hands with each other before they began their crucial talks.

A joint statement
issued after their discussions said the meeting was held in a ‘cordial,
positive and constructive atmosphere’.

“Both DGsMO showed their
commitment to maintain the sanctity and ceasefire on the LoC and agreed to
re-energise the existing mechanisms,” the statement read.

The two sides also developed
consensus to make hotline contact between the two DGsMO ‘more effective and
result-oriented’.

It was also decided that both
sides would inform each other if any innocent civilian inadvertently crossed
the LoC, in order to ensure his/her early return.

“To carry forward the positive
spirit of DGsMOs meeting, two flag meetings between Brigade Commanders will be
held on the LoC in the near future to ensure maintenance of peace and
tranquility along the LoC,” the statement said.

Tensions between the two
neighbours had flared up in January and then in August this year when the two
sides accused each other of violating ceasefire in the disputed region.

The ensuing clashes left a
number of soldiers and civilians dead on both sides of the LoC.

Talks between the two DGsMOs
took place as part of the agreement reached between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh during their talks in New York on the
fringes of the United Nations General Assembly session in September.

A senior military official
told The Express Tribune that it was a political decision to arrange the
meeting of the DGsMOs.

“Both the civilian and the
military leadership are on the same page as far as relations with India are
concerned,” added the official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Although there are little
chances of resumption of the stalled peace talks in the near future due to
India’s preoccupation with the upcoming parliamentary elections, the United
States is believed to have been pushing the two neighbours to remain engaged at
a time when it is pulling out of Afghanistan.

Washington, which is thought
to have encouraged the two sides to defuse LoC tensions, fears that any
hostilities between the nuclear neighbors could undermine its efforts to
stabilise Afghanistan.

A foreign office official
hoped that the meeting would lead to resumption of composite dialogue, which
India has so far refused to enter into due to what it claimed ‘slow progress’
to prosecute perpetrators of November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

NEW DELHI: The
ongoing diplomatic kerfuffle over the Devyani Khobragade episode is no hurdle
as far defence deals with the US are concerned. India and the US have inked
another mega contract, the $1.01 billion one for six additional C-130J
"Super Hercules" aircraft, while some others are being finalized.

Defence ministry
sources said the "letter of offer and acceptance" for the six new
four-engine C-130Js, which will be delivered within three years, was signed on
Friday under the US government's "foreign military sales" (FMS)
programme.

IAF already has
six C-130Js tactical airlift aircraft, ordered for $962 million in 2007, which
are based at the Hindon airbase on the outskirts of Delhi. The six new C-130Js,
also configured for "special operations" as the first six, will be
based at Panagarh in West Bengal.

Panagarh will also
house the headquarters of the new mountain strike corps, christened XVII Corps
with a total of over 80,000 soldiers, being raised by the Army in a project
worth around Rs 90,000 crore. This new corps will plug operational gaps along
the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) as well as give "some serious
ground offensive capabilities" against China for the first time.

The rugged C-130J,
as also the bigger C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft acquired
from the US, can even land at a small forward airbase on a semi-prepared
runway. Crucial to counter China's massive build-up of border infrastructure,
this capability was amply demonstrated when IAF landed a C-130J on the Daulat
Beg Oldi airstrip in eastern Ladakh, at an altitude of 16,614-feet just
seven-km from the LAC, in August this year.

The US has already
bagged deals close to $10 billion over the last decade in the lucrative Indian
defence market. The other deals on the anvil are the ones for 22 Apache attack
helicopters, 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers, four P-8I maritime patrol aircraft
and 145 M-777 ultra-light howitzers, together worth another $4 billion or so.

"The CNC
(contract negotiation committee) for the Chinooks has completed its work, while
the one for the Apaches is on the verge of finalization. The M-777 howitzers'
contract was stuck on the offsets proposal but is now being sorted out,"
said a MoD source.

That's not all.
The US is also in the contention for the over Rs 15,000 crore project to equip
the 355 infantry battalions of the Indian Army with third-generation,
shoulder-fired anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

After the US
initially created roadblocks in the transfer of technology (ToT) for its
"Javelin" ATGMs, India had turned to the Israeli "Spike"
ATGMs for the project, which will involve an initial import of the tank-killing
missiles followed by ToT to defence PSU Bharat Dynamics for indigenous
manufacture.

But the A K
Antony-led Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC) last month put on hold a decision
on clearing the Israeli case after the US offered a joint project to
manufacture the next-generation of ATGMs. "The MoD will consider both the
American and Israeli projects now and choose the one which suits India
better," said the source.

KOLKATA: Less than
a week prior to taking over as vice-chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Dalbir Singh,
GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, visited the forward areas in Sikkim on Thursday and
interacted with officers and troops of the Trishakti Corps who are deployed along
the Line of Actual Control. He was accompanied by Lt Gen K J Singh, commander,
Trishakti Corps. After the visit, the Eastern Army commander commended the
efforts of the officers and troops and said that they were in a state of
operational readiness to meet any challenge.

"The Army
Commander appreciated the efforts put in by all ranks of the Corps in
maintaining constant vigil, peace and tranquility along the China-Indian
Border. He expressed satisfaction at the high level of motivation and morale of
the troops deployed in difficult and physically demanding conditions. He also
complimented the Corps for the maintenance of operational readiness, training
and administration of the troops. He expressed satisfaction at the efforts
towards maintaining peace in accordance with the Border Peace and Tranquility
Agreement that is progressing well in enhancing mutual trust and deepening of
understanding between the two armies as per the recently concluded Border
Defence and Cooperation Agreement," said Capt T K Singha, CPRO, ministry
of defence, Kolkata.

Lt Gen Dalbir
Singh also visited the Corps Battle School at Gnathang in East Sikkim and
witnessed training facilities created to maintain operational preparedness.

New Delhi:
Government is setting up advanced medical facilities in forward areas including
Siachen and in the Northeast, Director General of Armed Forces Medical
Services, Air Marshal DP Joshi, said on Friday.

"We will be
having a CT-scan centre at the base camp at Siachen. There is a surgeon,
physician and medical staff and other facilities there.”

"There is a
concerted proposal that we are going more eastwards. Since we are manning
places like Dimapur, we are setting up advanced medical centres, so as to
whenever there are casualties, it could be treated immediately," Joshi
said.

Addressing a press
conference on the 250th anniversary of the Army Medical Corps, Joshi said it
was not only Siachen, but the Defence Ministry was working on having advanced
medical treatment facilities in forward areas in Northeast as well.

"Places like
Johrat and Guwahati have excellent medical centres. We are also planning to add
MRI centres at these places," Joshi said.

He said if serious
cases are brought in, they would be treated quickly and if the patient requires
shifting to other centres, it could be done easily because of its good air
bases.

He noted that the
number of HIV cases has seen a decline not only in the country but also in the
armed forces.

"The graph of
HIV cases in the army has declined. In last year, we have not even boarded out
anybody or nobody has died of AIDS," Joshi said.

He said after the
Uttarkhand tragedy, in which a MI-17 V5 helicopter crashed killing 20
personnel, it was difficult to identify the badly damaged bodies.

"We have
decided to maintain a DNA bank. We have trained people in Calcutta and
Hyderabad for this project. We will keep the blood samples of all the new
recruits stored and dispose them only after 10 years of their
recruitment," Joshi said.

Joshi added that
the Army, which is involved in conducting medical check-ups of the pilgrims,
has noticed a significant reduction of deaths in Amarnath this year.

"The defence
forces also did a commendable job in the relief work of Uttarakhand and Philian
cyclone," he said.

Joshi said that
medical wing of the armed forces has been participating in UN peacekeeping programmes
and have even undertaken training for defence personnel of other countries. At
present medical aid is being provided to Syria, the Philippines, Nicaragua,
Sudan and SAARC nations.

"A 25-bed
hospital in Male (Maldives) has been made fully functional. A team of two
medical officers was sent to Kyrgystan as a part of defence cooperation to
provide training to medical and nursing staff to be deployed in UN peacekeeping
operations," Joshi said.

He added that 200
beds in the Armed Forces hospital, Pune were being made available for civilains
and that the Maharashtra government was ready to take responsibility of it.

"We are going
to ask the Government of India that wherever we have our nine regional centres,
there should be a percentage of beds available for civilians, but the cost
modalities have to be worked out," Joshi said.